More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Where do we find such men? I'd support the MoH for this act.
- How to spot high agency people. Try to make these people your friends.
- Reason comes out against Nikki Haley's plan for the internet as unconstitutional. I agree.
- Elon Musk plans "thermonuclear" suit against George Soros and Media Matters. There's a special place in hell for George Soros and anyone at Media Matters.
"I'd support the MoH for this act." What act? Defending himself against poorly trained Soviet pilots? If that's MoH material, what about the thousands of infantrymen on the ground in Korea who defended themselves against tens of thousands of Chinese? Should every soldier who survives combat while killing four enemy receive a MoH?
ReplyDeleteOr is the "brave" act not bragging about it to the press of the day?
As you can tell, I have a real beef about the adulation and excuses given to pilots, while the poor bloody infantry continues to get the dirty end of the stick, day after day, year after year.
DeleteWhen a pilot bombs a city, indiscriminately killing hundreds, he's doing a heroic job under stressful conditions.
When a soldier fighting house to house through a similar village tosses a grenade through a window and kills a woman and children (plus the men shooting from inside that room), he's a monster who will be second guessed and judged by lawyers over the course of weeks for his split-second, life and death decision in the heat of combat.
Not a pilot myself but I think one on four in any arena is a tough slog. Even tougher as for the longest time the public was made to fear the MiG as a super plane.
DeleteI do understand where you're coming from though and that the military may have been aware of the MiG's shortcomings long before the regular guy. Just like the fallacy of the missile gap. Not the Lt's fault though.
I suppose I have a different view on the MOH. The great majority of men who merit that honor are never recognized because not only do they perish in combat, but also all the witnesses to their valor perish. Those who do receive that honor represent themselves, their unit AND all those we as a nation fail to recognize. I've met MOH recipients. They, to a man, are humble. Some are like barrel-chested Navy SEAL Mike Thornton, who saved an injured fellow SEAL (and future FBI agent) in Vietnam. Others were men who had no idea they had heroism within them. They all deserve our respect and thanks. And many, never so recognized, probably should have been.
ReplyDeleteAgree and I think government regulation often prevent this heroism and sacrifice from being recognized. Take D-Day when for some stupid reason the government decided there should only be one MoH awarded to each military branch.
ReplyDelete